XXX State of the Union: 6 out of 10
XXX State of the Union is a classic blaxploitation film updated with a nice big budget. This means of course that it jettisons the horrible Mountain Dew vibe of the first XXX.
Blaxploitation films are often fun and State of the Union is no exception. The always watchable Ice Cube fills Van Diesel's shoes nicely and gives us a much more fun Triple X to watch. The plot involving a bloody coup by the Defense Secretary against the President is by the numbers and the stunts are often over the top.(State of the Union is however certified snowboard and bungee jumping free by the committee of all of us who are not 15 year old pimple faced boys.) However the movie does move at a decent enough pace and doesn't take itself seriously for a minute so all the plot holes and impossible physics in the world don't take away from the fun ride. Like any true blaxploitation film there is the over the top racism and all sorts of evil white dudes. Yet State of the Union being a more progressive blaxploitation film does allow for some sympathetic honkies.
There are three performances however, that stick out as pretty awful. Nona Gaye as Ice Cube's love interest has virtually no chemistry with our lead and looks like a basketball player in drag. Speaking of Dennis Rodman, Q substitute Scott Speedman spends the entire film like he is trying out for his own Bravo special. In addition, President's Peter Strauss' title speech is so awful (and wrongheaded) one begins to root for the coup to succeed. Those performances aside every else does pretty well and seem to be having a fun time. I hope that this signals an end to the extreme sports trend in action films and back to the mainstay of blowing things up real good.
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Comments (2)
I may have to give this one a try. I see it advertised all the time on FX.
@godfatherofgreenbay - As long as you keep in ming the fact it is a pretty silly film you will have a good time.